Chapter 122:
Corrine’s cheeks flushed, a mix of embarrassment and irritation bubbling up within her as she lightly swatted his chest.
“Nate!”
Normally composed and measured, Nate’s intensity now bordered on the reckless, something she wasn’t used to.
Had she been misjudging him all along, her past emotions influencing her perceptions?
Corrine furrowed her brow, acutely aware of how close they were, their breaths mingling, the moment hanging on the brink of something undeniable.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll take it as a yes,” Nate said, his voice low, teasing, but with an edge of seriousness.
Before she could react, Nate closed the gap, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. His arm around her tightened, pulling her fully against him. His restraint slipped entirely when it came to her.
His grandfather’s voice echoed in his mind, a warning he had heard all his life—beauty could be as dangerous as a predator, capable of breaking even the strongest will. His grandfather had advised him never to act on such desires, but now, the warning was nothing more than a distant thought, drowned out by the overwhelming need to possess her.
Corrine slowly softened in his arms, her resistance fading as she instinctively responded to him, her mind clouded by the intensity of the kiss.
The air between them thickened, every second drawing her further into him, making it harder to focus.
Then, the sharp trill of a phone ringtone sliced through the tension.
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The familiar sound snapped Corrine back to reality. A surge of energy shot through her as she pushed Nate away, hurriedly straightened her clothes, and grabbed her phone.
“You’re not at the office?”
Jayden’s calm, steady voice crackled through the phone, but there was an underlying pressure in his tone that made Corrine feel guilty.
She exhaled slowly, steadying her nerves, and replied with feigned calmness, “Uncle Jayden, I had something unexpected come up.”
Nate, sitting back in the wicker chair, silently observed her, his expression unreadable. His eyes flickered with something—an emotion he quickly masked. He nearly forgot about the other looming issue.
After hanging up the phone, Corrine’s heart raced as if she had been caught red-handed sneaking a forbidden treat.
She exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself, and turned her gaze toward Nate, who sat in the wicker chair with his usual unruffled composure. Nate’s left hand rested casually on his knee, while his right held a cup of coffee. The sharp angle of his jawline gave him an air of effortless cool, as though he were impervious to the chaos of the world around him.
But what truly caught Corrine’s eye was the faint lipstick mark clinging to the corner of his mouth, a telltale sign of their earlier kiss. Her cheeks flushed a rosy hue as the memory replayed vividly in her mind. The kiss, still fresh in her thoughts, sent a wave of warmth rushing to her face. She stammered, “I-I’ll head back to my room now.”
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